Rochester Firefighters Battle Massive Five-Alarm Inferno at Lyell Avenue Pallet Factory

A devastating five-alarm inferno ripped through a commercial packaging facility on the city’s west side late Sunday evening, triggering a massive emergency response, heavy localized gridlock, and significant structural damage.

The emergency began shortly after 11:00 PM when automated alarms and multiple emergency 911 calls alerted the Rochester Fire Department to a commercial structure fire at Pallet Express, located at 1069 Lyell Avenue near the intersection of Glide Street. Initial arriving fire companies encountered heavy smoke and massive flames already venting directly through the roof of the large facility. Due to the intense fire load created by thousands of dry wooden pallets stored inside the building, the blaze spread with extreme speed, forcing command officers to rapidly elevate the response to a fifth alarm to bring additional personnel, apparatus, and mutual aid to the scene.

Firefighters quickly transitioned to defensive operations, positioning aerial ladders and heavy master streams to surround the perimeter. Crews focused on exposure protection to prevent the intense wall of flames from spreading to closely situated neighboring businesses and nearby residential corridors, which prompted precautionary evacuations for some area residents. The high heat caused partial structural collapses at the rear of the building and heavily compromised multiple commercial transportation trucks parked on the property.

Rochester Fire Department Public Information Officer Lt. Howard Villegas confirmed that the facility was empty at the time the fire erupted, and its internal sprinkler system was overwhelmed by the rapid spread. No injuries were reported among civilian bystanders or the more than 100 emergency personnel on the scene.

While heavy master streams brought the perimeter under control by Monday morning, Lyell Avenue remained completely closed to traffic between Glide Street and child corridors as utility crews disconnected active power lines and investigators searched the smoldering ruins. The Rochester Fire Department Arson Task Force and regional investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the historic blaze.